Money-saving Tips

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Save on House Expenses

Combine your cable, internet and telephone service.
Slow down your internet service by going for the slower internet service option with your cable company that will allow you to save money every month.
Send away for and follow up on rebates.
Convert to a gas water heater because they are more efficient and will save you money in the long run.
Request a discount on trash service.
Get a rewards card.
If you’re comfortable relying on a cell phone, there’s no reason to keep a land line, so get rid of it.
Consider VOiP telephone service.
Shut vents in unused rooms.
Eliminate some cable service.
Agree to limit gift giving. Agree in advance to limit the gifts and save everybody some money.
Pass on extended warranties. Warranties are insurance, and we rarely need to insure such a small amount.
Check the insulation in your home. Extra insulation can easily pay for itself in one or two years, and it helps save the environment, too.
Buy energy efficient appliances. Look for the Energy Star on appliances and consider the annual energy cost before buying.

Drive your car longer. The buy new versus used debate often overlooks the most important factor–how long you own your car.
Buy your car over the internet: Search the internet for information on the car you want and then send e-mail requests to dealers for the best price.
Get tires from Costco or other wholesale clubs. Simply put, they cost a lot less than buying them at the dealer or even a chain tire store.
Keep tires properly inflated. It keeps you safe and costs less on gas.

Request a reduction in the interest rate for your home equity line of credit.
Request a reduction in the interest rate on your credit cards.
If you can reduce your interest rate by one percent or more, it is often beneficial to refinance.
Get rid of Private Mortgage Insurance.
Don’t pay interest on credit cards.
Pay your life insurance annually.
Pay car insurance semi-annually.
Increase insurance deductibles.
Take advantage of employer 401(k) matches. If your employer matches 401(k) contributions, do everything you can to take full advantage of that match.
Never pay checking account fees. With so many free checking account plans available, there’s no reason to pay a fee.
Buy term life insurance. Any other life insurance product is just not worth the extra cost.

If you love books and read every day, you can go to the library to read all the books and magazines you want – for free.
Buy online when it saves you money. It sells just about anything and sometimes at substantial savings.
Subscribe to magazines that are must reads because subscriptions offer substantial savings over the cost at the newsstand.
Use Open Source software when possible. GIMP is free; Photoshop ain’t.

Get healthy. Your health will directly impact the cost of life insurance and, in some cases, can reduce the cost of your health insurance.
Cancel the health club membership.
Stop smoking. Need I say more?
Drink less alcohol. It costs money and adds calories.
Take your lunch to work one more day a week than you do now.
Buy generic over-the-counter medicines.